"Did you think the dark would hide your earbud?" He said.

"Sorry?" Esme said, glaring at her brother. The dark cave they waited in only had a couple of lanterns along the far wall, but she pulled up her hood.

"As always," He said as his stone slapped against a stagnant puddle, "your earbuds are still in. I can see them."

"Leo, stop it already," Esme said, knocking the next poised rock from his hand. Leo arched an eyebrow and said,

"Then, I should have earbuds or at least thirty dollars on my bed by next Friday. Yes, that should cover interest too for my wait." Esme looked at the smug grin and pulled up her college psychology textbook recording on her phone.

"I don't care what mom and dad said," Esme said sighing. Leo began to speak, but his gangly legs slipped out from under him. His body hit the wet, slimy limestone with a loud thwack. Muddy water made tracks that slid down the pained face that looked up at her. "Are you okay?" She asked, offering a hand. "Fine," He muttered, getting to his feet.

"Welcome to the largest cave on this side of the continent! We will be - " a chipper guide yelled over the rushing underground river. Esme ignored the forced charisma and descended the rickety metal stairs with the recording in one ear and the other faced towards the river. They walked beneath looming ceilings with stalagmites so old they formed pillars, and the walls were patterned with smooth conclaves the size of bowls. So alien-like compared to the tiny holes formed from drip after drip. The river soon became a slow-moving stream, and the guide led them to the entrance of a waterfall. Esme squeezed past the less agile members of the group and through the now claustrophobic rock. The bugs and grimy walls enclosed her, making her gut sink in unreasonable dread. She shook the dust from her hoodie regretting the shortcut. She jumped free, clambering down the slick rocks to put her head under the cold water. She wished she had gone to college by the ocean or maybe she should move once she graduated. Instead, she stayed near home. She needed to save and she liked to spend time at home on the weekends.

A cry of pain jolted her out of her momentary heaven under the cool water. Two small girls with long curling brown hair crouched by their dad, who had tripped down the slippery steps carved out of the limestone. His leg was clearly bent the wrong way.

Esme moved forward to comfort the littlest one making eye contact with a grimacing Leo from across the room. He pointed up the stairs, and she gestured to the little girls. He dipped his head and headed up to the surface to find their parents.

Big beautiful brown eyes looked up into hers, and the stream that trickled down them became a flood of tears. Esme pulled the earbud from her ear and crouched down, offering her a hug. A young man kneeled by the father speaking to him quietly. The father desperately rambling about how he needed to get out of here called him Malik. When Malik looked up, Esme shook the water off her head. He was so calm.

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The young man, Malik, asked someone to grab the older sister. So, Esme pulled the girl to sit on her other knee by her sister. She kicked and pushed, screaming as she tried to get to her dad. But, Esme's struggle to contain the flailing child suddenly stopped when Malik hushed the little girl. He helped the father put less pressure on the broken leg, and people began to offer up jackets for the dad.

"Where's their mother?" Esme asked the dad.

"She stayed home because of a cold." He gasped in shock. "That's alright," she reassured him as she pulled the rainjacket hoods over drenched curls. The cold water and chilly still air filled her with dread. She waited for the paramedics with them, knowing the father would not want them out of his sight. But as they began to shiver, she anxiously considered what she would say. The rest of the group had left a while ago and she needed to find a way to get them warm. Her legs began to burn under the girls' weight. Calm eyes connected with hers and he walked over to her and the little girls. "The tour guide studies medicine, but he can't do much. It may be a while yet. I am going to the surface to see if I can find some pain killers." He said quietly.

"They are too cold to stay down here and hungry. I want to ask him if I can take them to the surface, but I don't think he'll let them out of his sight." Esme said, looking at their distraught father.

"Yeah," Malik said, eyeing her.

"I know that's why I waited, but they are soaked through." She said adjusting the hoods back over the curls. He glanced at the dad. He was in slight hysteria because they did not have any effective painkillers. "I would get them some blankets some food," she elaborated. He sighed and then went over to the father. They spoke, and then he beckoned her to follow him up the stairs. "Can can you carry one of them please?" Esme said.

He nodded, picking up the sleepy older sister while Esme guided the stumbling three-year-old through the poorly lit cave.

"My friend, Eliezer, will be able to help us," He said when they reached the surface and entered the gift shop. He waved over a lanky young man with gray eyes and light brown hair.

"You look like brothers. Your eyes especially," Esme commented, shifting the little girl to her other hip. Her arms tired more quickly than she thought. The lanky man smiled widely at his friend, some shared secret passing between them, and said,

"I think our mothers would disagree."

"I need you to get some painkillers for their father."

"Father?"

"The girls. Their father broke his leg, and they need painkillers and more blankets while we wait for the paramedics."

"Alright."

"Esme!" Her mother called. She turned to see her parents and Leo coming over.

"I wanted-", She began.

"Leo told us. Here." Her mother said, handing out blankets and more buttery bread rolls they had earlier from the cafe. Esme's father took the littlest one and sat down at a nearby table.

"Thank you," the strange man said, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. "Take one for their dad too." Esme's mom said.

"I need to use the bathroom," Esme said to her father, and then she exited the building to enter the small cafe nearby. When she left the restroom, she saw Eliezer heading towards the woods through the windows. Why wasn't he getting painkillers? She followed him, skirting the cafe building and entering the damp dripping forest. The brilliant greens and poignant woody air was welcome after the stank cave air, and soon a curiosity replaced her weariness.

She moved slowly pondering how ridiculous this was. Normal people did not follow strangers into the forest. The only problem was they did not seem normal and the girls' father needed those painkillers. The paramedics were still an hour out. She texted Leo and followed him through the maze of trees and bushes.